Whole 30 Grape Leaves- Stuffed with Beef and Artichoke

Whenever I do a Whole 30, the “grab and go” options are the key to my success. One of my favorite grab and go options are stuffed grape leaves. These can be made ahead, and last throughout the week as a great addition to salads or kept as a good high protein snack throughout the day.

While I normally like to stuff my grape leaves with lamb, ground lamb isn’t always readily available or on sale. My husband and I did a big cost-co run a few weeks ago, and got some excellent organic ground beef that we had stored in the freezer. Since I am a bit “hamburgered” out from the recent 4th of July holiday, I wanted to use the beef for something different, and thought I’d try putting them in my grape leaves.

Non-paleo grape leaves are typically stuffed with rice, and occasionally meat. Obviously, I don’t use rice, but i do like to add something to lighten up the meat and add some nice acidity. This time, I thought I would do that by adding in some chopped up artichoke hearts, olives and capers. The artichokes not only add in some extra veggies, but are a great source of fiber as well as vitamin C and K. To keep this healthy, I used frozen artichoke hearts as opposed to canned ones, that typically come with all sorts of other “stuff” in it. The frozen artichoke hearts are far more affordable than the fresh, and involve a LOT less work to get them prepped.

The trickiest part of this dish is rolling the grape leaves. To do this, I pull a roll of the leaves from the jar and lay them out flat. Some of the leaves will be large enough to use on your own (slightly larger than your hand), but others may need to be laid out with a second leaf on top to create a secure surface. Once you have spooned the mixture on to the center of the leaf or leaves, roll it like a burrito, tucking in the ends. I have found the rolls are a bit more secure after having been refrigerated, but they can also be enjoyed immediately.

I am working on another recipe for grape leaves using lamb that I will publish soon, but in the meantime, enjoy this version!!

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